And the gown…
It wasn’t white or transparent but a warm, silver shade close to the rare color of Nyktos’s eyes when he was amused or relaxed. The sleeves were a delicate lace pattern that resembled the scrollwork I often saw on Nyktos’s and his guards’ tunics. That same scrolling design traveled over the rest of the gown, where it fit like a second skin from my breasts to my hips. From there, layers of soft gossamer and chiffon had been painstakingly stitched together so the skirt fell in wispy layers to the floor. Tiny diamonds twinkled from my arms, breasts, the waist, and the skirt. The gown was starlight.
“What do you think?” Erlina asked as she slid the small loop that was connected to the underside of the sleeve onto my forefinger on both hands.
“It’s beautiful,” I whispered.
“You’re beautiful.” Bele’s face appeared above my shoulder. “Really.”
I cleared my throat. “Thank you.” I turned to Erlina. “Thank you.”
Her golden-brown cheeks warmed. “It was a pleasure and an honor to make this gown.”
“I don’t know how you did all of this. It would’ve taken me years.” I laughed shakily. “Actually, I couldn’t even do this in a lifetime.”
“Same,” Bele murmured, and Erlina shrugged off the comments, but her smile spread.
With Bele’s help, I carefully stepped down from the stool. “Will you be at the coronation?”
Erlina nodded. “Luckily, coronations are much like the Rites. All the mortals and godlings in attendance will be masked.”
I was happy to hear that she would be there, but concern still blossomed as I stepped into heeled shoes. “And will that be safe?”
“Mortals and godlings will be far enough away from the rest that they won’t be able to tell who is among them,” Bele answered. “And most of the Chosen who were brought into the Shadowlands have been here long enough that if any of the gods or Primals fed from them while in Dalos, their blood would’ve weakened by now.”
“Thank the Fates,” Erlina murmured. She then clasped my hands. “I will see you there, Your Highness.”
“Don’t—” Catching Bele’s pointed glare, I sighed. “I will see you there.”
Erlina left then with her sewing bag, leaving the mirror to be retrieved later. Bele closed the door behind her as I went to where the shadowstone dagger and its sheath lay on the chest by the wardrobe.
I picked it up and gently hiked up the skirt.
“What are you…?” Bele chuckled as I strapped the sheath around my thigh. “Nice touch.”
“Never leave without it,” I remarked, securing the sheath and then lowering my foot. I watched the skirt sparkle its way back to the floor.
“Just remember that dagger won’t do shit to a Primal,” Bele offered. “You know, in case any of them decide to give tradition a giant Primal middle finger.”
“Yeah, not like I’m going to forget that after shoving a dagger through Veses’ eye, and her pretty much brushing it off.”
“Fates, I wish I’d been there to see that.”
“It was really gross.” I glanced over at her. “She still sleeps?”
Bele nodded. “Hopefully, for the next hundred years, but I doubt we’ll get that lucky.”
“Yeah, but how long do we have before she’s missed and someone comes looking for her?” I asked. Though, hopefully, Nyktos managed to transfer the embers, and Veses’ whereabouts would be the least of anyone’s concerns as he Ascended as the true Primal of Life.
She snorted. “You really think the crowd Veses runs with would care enough to realize she’s missing? The answer would be no. To be honest, I bet most are grateful she’s gone.”
Well, that kind of…made me sad. And I didn’t want to feel bad for her because I was petty and still didn’t fully understand what the hell was going on between her and Nyktos. He claimed he couldn’t stand her but let her feed from him and do who knew what else. And Veses did care about him, at least enough to not want to see him get in trouble with Kolis.
But I had a feeling someone knew what was going on between them.
“Do you know if Rhain is still here?” I asked.
“He is. He’ll be one of your escorts to Lethe.”
I glanced at the closed doors. Now probably wasn’t the best time for this conversation, but… “I would like to see him really quick, if you know where he’s at.”
Curiosity marked her features. “He’s nearby. I’ll get him.” She looked at the gown. “Remember. Less movement is better.”
“I remember,” I said, smiling, even though standing still while Bele retrieved Rhain was easier said than done. Thankfully, she returned within minutes with one very confused-looking god.
“You needed to see me?” Rhain asked, coming to stand with his hand on the hilt of a sword.
“Yes.” I glanced at Bele. “Can you wait for us in the hall?”
Her brows shot up. “Do I have to?”
“I would like it if you did.”
“But I’m nosy.”
I stared at her while Rhain looked even more bewildered.
“Fine,” Bele grumbled. “I’ll wait in the hall.”
Once the door was closed, I turned to Rhain. “There’s something I need to ask you.”
His head tilted toward the brighter light of the chandelier, turning his hair more red than gold. “And this isn’t something you could ask in front of Bele?”
“I didn’t think you’d answer if she or anyone else were present,” I told him.
“I have a bad feeling about where this is going,” he muttered, clearing his throat. “What is it you want to know?”
“In a few hours, I will be the Consort. I assume that means I have some level of authority when it comes to those here—even Nyktos’s guards.”
Rhain’s golden-brown eyes narrowed. “It does.”
“So, that means if I ask you something, you’d have to answer me honestly, correct?”
“Yeah.” He drew out the word. “I guess so.”
“Then I’m hoping you’ll answer what I’m about to ask so that I don’t have to order you to do it in a few hours,” I said as wariness settled into his features. “I know this is likely a very inopportune time to ask this, but I want to know what Nyktos sacrificed for me.”
Rhain blinked, and it took a few seconds for his expression to smooth out. “I didn’t mean—”
“I don’t think you were being dramatic, as Ector claimed. You know something.”
He stared at me, his shoulders tensing. “Why do you want to know?”
“Because I do.”
“Let me rephrase. Do you actually care if he did or didn’t?”
I stiffened. “I wouldn’t be asking you if I didn’t. You can believe that or not. I know I won’t be able to change your mind. And, to be honest, at this moment, I don’t really care if you do. Just answer my question. Please.”
Rhain held my stare, but then his gaze cut away. He cursed. “I shouldn’t have said a damn thing. He just might kill me if he finds out I did.”
I doubted that Nyktos would kill Rhain. “I won’t repeat what you tell me.”
His eyes shot back to mine, the glow behind his pupils brighter. “And I’m supposed to trust that?”
“Contrary to what you may believe about me, and despite your dislike of me, I don’t want to see you or anyone else here murdered,” I replied dryly. “Especially by Nyktos.”
“Yeah, well, I sure as fuck hope that’s true.” Rhain shifted from one foot to the other, cursing again as he lifted his gaze to the chandelier. “Eythos kept that damn deal he made with your ancestor quiet for a long time.”